The audience are in the round. They watch Blanche DuBois’s friable world fall apart from all angles in this devastating and tragic play by Tennessee Williams. Directed by Benedict Andrews, this was a Young Vic/Joshua Andrews co-production supported by National Theatre Live. Recorded live in 2014.
Gillian Anderson portrayed Blanche DuBois. Anderson is best known for staring in “All About Eve”, “The X-Files”, “The Fall”, and “Sex Education”. Alongside her, Stanley was played by Ben Foster. He has featured in productions such as: “Kill Your Darlings” and “Lone Survivor”. Completing the leading trio was DuBois’ sister Stella, brought to life by Vanessa Kirby. She has been credited for her roles in “Julie”, “Mission Impossible”, and “The Crown”.
Distressed former schoolteacher, Blanche DuBois leaves small-town Mississippi to move in with her sister, Stella and her husband, Stanley Kowalski, in New Orleans. A poignant Saxophone solo opened the play. Blanche's flirtatious, playful, and Southern-belle persona was just a social mask; an illusion to disguise her real and broken self. She began to cause difficulties for Stella and Stanley. The Kowalskis already had a capricious relationship, leading to even greater conflict in their household. DuBois craves a man to protect her at this stage in her life. She cannot comprehend how Stella, who is expecting her first child, could have picked an abusive and chauvinistic pig of a husband. When Stanley’s friends came over to the house to play cards, one of the lads, Mitch, found Blanche attractive. However, Stanley enlightened Mitch as to the kind of woman Blanche really was. What will happen when Stella visits the hospital to have her baby and Blanche and her brother-in-law are left alone?
The Kowalski’s flat was a curious design by Magda Willi. There was modern furniture but I liked how it was all rather minimal. It was housed in an industrial framework structure with an emergency exit staircase. There was something clinical, bare, and cold in the look and feel of the whole thing – like it was part flat, part institution. Here, there was no “behind closed doors” or privacy as there were gaps in the set so you could see every part of the building. This design was both practical and exposing. I wasn’t a fan of the continuous slowly revolving stage because there was no perceivable justification for it – it felt more like a theatrical trick. If the decision was regarding the audience being able to see everything as much as possible, it didn’t work because it was distracting. If the set was still and the audience had a different view depending on where they sat, it might have made the viewing experience more interesting and varied.
Anderson opened herself up in her portrayal of DuBois, her gradual declining state of mind was well judged and you felt complete sympathy for her – even if her character wasn’t perfect. None of the characters were perfect. It was an emotionally fragile and tour-de-force central performance. Equally, Kirby shined as Stella, her memorable gut-wrenching outburst at the end made the hairs stand on the back of your neck. Meanwhile, Foster’s Stanley was toxic and menacing. Worlds apart from Mitch, played by Corey Johnson, who was interpreted as a complete Gentleman with an aura of innocence about him. There is the opinion that the key to any good play is tension and conflict and there was an abundance of both in Williams’ drama. Andrew’s direction recognised the unremitting clashes between characters particularly because their temperaments were poles apart. Opposites attracted tension which made for fascinating viewing.
Sporadic transitions further fuelled the agitated atmosphere. LED lights displayed several emotive primary colours, as referenced in one of DuBois’ recollections early in the play, as various styles of dramatic music underscored the action of a scene change. The colours were symbolic of sexual aggression, uneasiness, and tenacious sadness.
Without revealing specific plot details, there was always one moment in the latter half of the play which has been argued to be the climax of the story. In this production, I felt there was a second climax because the direction in the last scene was beautifully hard-hitting. Making Blanche’s iconic line: “Whoever you are, I’ve always relied on the kindness of strangers” more heart-breaking. In retrospect, Blanche shouldn’t have travelled in that streetcar named “Desire”. Desire led to a dangerously downward spiralling path of personal destruction where reality and illusion were one and the same. The leading trio of characters didn’t have the nerve to come face to face with the truth, instead they closed that curtain to live in their own detrimental bubble of lies and fabricated stories.
Reviewer - Sam Lowe
on - 22/5/20
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